The location of Isla Sorna is also revealed. At the start of The Lost World it is shown that Isla Sorna is located 87 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of Isla Nublar. At the start of Jurassic Park III it says that it is located 207 miles (333 kilometers) west of Costa Rica. Before the expedition leaves, when Kelly Curtis is inspecting the trailer, a map of the island which includes part of Costa Rica as well as latitude and longitude markings is shown. From this map, the location of the island is as follows:

The geography, like Isla Nublar, was originally igneous. Part of a hotspot archipelago in the Pacific, Las Cinco Meurtes, Isla Sorna has a geographical plain of sharp volcanic cliffs, which over time, has been overlain with both classic and coniferous jungle. This volcanic history was actually tapped into by InGen, who used geothermal energy as a renewable power source to run the Worker Village. Incredibly mountainous, this geological construct has allowed for an interesting division between the predators and herbivores of the island. The larger and more fearsome carnivores such as the Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptors (deinonychus) tend to stay mostly towards the island interior, while the herbivores such as Parasaurolphus and Mamenchisaurus stay on the rim of the island along with very small carnivores such as Compsognathus. Interestingly, the structure of the island allows for a very curious arrangement. The island has multiple channels and canyons that cut into the island interior all the way from the coast. This allows for the statements said by John Hammond in 1997 and the often misinterpreted statement about the arrangement said by Eric Kirby in 2001 to both be true. Essentially, a large enough portion of the island interior also has a large amount of water inlets cutting into it. Although the island is in a tropical region, at night, Isla Sorna has been shown to be cold enough for one to see their own breath.

During InGen's operations on the Island, there were four areas that were constructed. The Embryonics, Administration, and Laboratories Compound was the main factory that produced the dinosaurs on a massive scale. After the production of a mutant variety of Pteranodon, a large Aviary was constructed where the genetic mutated Pterosaurs could be studied and quarantined. There was also an airstrip that was built close to the Embryonics, Administration, and Laboratories compound. A bit farther from here, on the other side of the ravine that also hosted the Aviary, was the Worker Village. This was a small compound that was used as the barracks for the Employees who worked at Isla Sorna as well as possessing a radio that could reach the mainland. InGen continued their operations on Isla Sorna up until 1993, sometime after the Incident on Isla Nublar, when a hurricane struck Isla Sorna and forced the evacuation of the island.

After the evacuation of Isla Sorna, the dinosaurs were freed and left to take care of themselves. In 1997, a British family on a yacht cruise stumbles on the Island and the family's little girl is attacked by several Compsognathus. Peter Ludlow, John Hammond's nephew, uses the incident to take over InGen and become the new CEO of the company. Knowing that Ludlow is planning an expedition to Isla Sorna to capture the dinosaurs to be displayed in Jurassic Park: San Diego, Hammond sends his own team to Isla Sorna to document the dinosaurs in order to gain public support for the isolation of Isla Sorna as a natural preserve. As Ian Malcolm points out, the dinosaurs should have succumbed to the Lysine Contingency and died after about 6 or 7 days, but Hammond reveals that the animals are actually thriving on the island. He also explains that carnivores tend to group towards the middle of the island while herbivores stay mostly on the outer rim.

However, once on the island, the clashing of Ludlow's and Hammond's teams causes chaos to break loose. The survivors on both teams have to combine forces and hike to the Worker's Village in order to send a distress call. After a few days of hiking, the teams encounter a pair of parent Tyrannosaurs, and then a pack of Velociraptors outside a field of long grass. Their numbers now heavily diminished, the rescue call is made and the teams are airlifted out. Unfortunately, before Ludlow is able to salvage his operation by capturing a male T. rex. This mistake is his last and after the Tyrannosaur Buck breaks loose and rampages through San Diego, the animal is eventually recaptured and returned to Isla Sorna where he belongs, along with the Infant T. rex. After this incident, Isla Sorna is declared a restricted zone by both the US and Costa Rican governments and deliberation begins by both on what should be done with the island.

Four years later, in 2001, a 12 year old boy and his mother's boyfriend, Eric Kirby and Ben Hildebrand respectively, went parasailing near Isla Sorna in hopes to see dinosaurs. Unfortunately, something attacks their boat, leaving Ben and Eric stranded on the island. After pleading to multiple agencies for help in getting their son back, divorced couple Paul and Amanda Kirby travel to the island with Alan Grant and a trio of mercenaries in order to retrieve Eric. After a Spinosaurus destroys their plane and takes out two of the mercenaries, the group is left stranded on the island. After finding Ben's rotted corpse, the group treks on but gets separated after a Velociraptor encounter. Eventually finding Eric and regrouping, the Kirbys and Alan Grant are able to send a call to Ellie Degler, whose husband works for the US State Department. She is then able to send the US Marines and Navy to the island and rescue the Kirbys and Alan Grant.